In preparation for South Africa, several World Cup bound teams are playing in friendlies today to physically warmup and mentally prepare for the juggernaut tournament this summer. Amongst today’s games, fans can look forward to seeing former England coach Sven Eriksson’s Ivory Coast for the first time since he was hired, if Nigeria can overcome the off-field distractions that have plagued their World Cup preparations, if Japan can respond to positively versus England after being booed off the field by their own fans or if Tunisia can record a win over their former colonial ruler (France) at home. Mini Previews available after the jump….
BELARUS VS. SOUTH KOREA
South Korea, looking to replicate their 2002 World Cup semi-final run, will be hoping to continue their 4-match winning streak against Belarus. In the recent past, they’ve managed to beat their regional rivals, Japan, Ivory Coast and Ecuador. Belarus, though not qualified for the World Cup, will be tough competition for South Korea. Early this week, they beat Honduras 2-2 and their tough, physical style will be tough to break down (though a perfect warmup for South Korea’s group competitor, Greece).
For more coverage on the game, visit the South Korea World Cup Blog.
MEXICO VS. GAMBIA
Mexico will be hoping to head into the World Cup with at least one win after not being rewarded for some impressive play in their first two preparation games versus the Netherlands (lost 2-1) and England (lost 3-1). Though losing to two of the tournament favorites is hardly something to be ashamed about, it will be interesting to see how these losses will affect the team’s psyche and form against the smallest footballing nation in the world, Gambia. Even under these circumstances, Mexico should easily dispose of Gambia, who have never qualified for the finals of a FIFA tournament at the senior level. Though it won’t be as easy as it sounds- Gambia have shown a lot of promise in their recent games against Tunisia and Angola. This game should be a good warmup for Mexico’s opening World Cup game versus South Africa, but a loss here could be traumatic heading into the tournament this summer.
For more coverage on the game (including a live blog), visit the Mexico World Cup Blog.
PARAGUAY VS. IVORY COAST
Fans of the Ivory Coast will be looking to this game to see if Eriksson is the man to transform this team of undoubtedly awesome talent into a cohesive group that can deliver consistent, winning performances needed to escape the Group of Death. Luckily, this game should provide them a pretty good benchmark from what they can expect from Paraguay’s CONMEBAL competition Brazil as well as Portugal this summer. The results of this game should be interesting, considering Paraguay have also recently played and narrowly beat (1-0) the Ivory Coast’s 3rd group competitor, North Korea.
Unlike the Ivory Coast, who will be playing their first friendly since March, Paraguay will be playing their third preparation game. Their previous win against North Korea (1-0) and loss to Ireland (2-1) have both been disappointing- something even Paraguay’s coach Gerardo Martino has admitted in interviews. This is especially true considering their impressive World Cup qualification campaign which saw them beat both Brazil and Argentina.
For more coverage on the game, visit the Paraguay and Ivory Coast World Cup Blogs.
NIGERIA VS. COLOMBIA
It will be interesting to see how Nigeria react to coach Lars Lagerback’s anger and disappointment in their performance against a young Saudi Arabia team last week. But, hey, this is the same Saudi team that narrowly lost to Spain yesterday (2-3). And unlike Spain, Nigeria can point to the absence of key players against the Saudis. The team, who is under tremendous pressure from criticism at home, have hardly had an ideal buildup to the World Cup. In recent weeks they have had to postpone this friendly versus Colombia after Upton Park declined to host the team and have abandoned their original plans for a training camp in London. Since the postponement, the two federations have scrambled to find a replacement stadium to host the game. Though fans will be disappointed that this game will be played in a closed stadium due to a fear of over-stretching the local security forces who will also be policing a local carnival.
On a more positive note, the team have received a boost from the return of John Mikel Obi (Chelsea) and Brown Ideye (Sochaux). A win against Colombia, who beat Nigeria’s group competition, Argentina, and managed a draw against Brazil in their World Cup qualification campaign, will be tough competition for the Eagles, despite not qualifying for South Africa. A win will also help to prove to the Eagle’s fans that the team can overcome all of the distractions, pressure and uncertainty surrounding the team this summer.
For more coverage on the game, visit the Nigeria World Cup Blog.
CHILE VS. NORTHERN IRELAND
Chile will be heading into this match feeling confident after their 3-0 win against Zambia and are expected to easily beat Northern Ireland with their exciting, fluid attacking style. Chile may have been absent from the international stage since 1998, but the expectations for the team at this summer’s tournament are still high. Though this game is hardly expected to provide the Chileans with a preview of what they can expect from the likes of Spain, Switzerland or Honduras- a win may provide the team with the confidence it needs to beat even the likes of the current European Champions. That said, Northern Ireland has a promising team of youngsters who are hungry to prove themselves on the big stage- they will come to win and give 100% until the final whistle.
(Please note that ESPN incorrectly advertised a game with Chile and Israel later today, which to my knowledge is not happening.)
For more coverage on the game, visit the Chile World Cup Blog.
JAPAN V. ENGLAND
England’s pre-match preparation appears to be going as well as their World Cup qualification campaign. The team beat Mexico and Egypt both by 3-1 margins- proving they have what it takes to successfully take on the US (Mexico’s CONCACAF rival) and Algeria (Egypt’s regional rival). That said, the scoreline was unfairly flattering to England in both games- as both Mexico and Egypt definitely looked the better at times during the matches. Given the biggest criticism of England’s World Cup performances in the past have mostly been about their mental fortitude, it will be interesting to see how England’s players respond to pressure during this game since Capello will be cutting 7 players to whittle his squad down to the 23 names required by FIFA by June 1.
As well as England is doing in their buildup to the World Cup- Japan has been disappointing, especially since their coach set a goal of making at least to the semi-finals. After some recent lethargic losses to South Korea and Serbia, Japan was booed by their own fans. So, they will be looking to get their World Cup preparation back on track.
For more coverage on the game, visit the Japan and England World Cup Blogs.
TUNISIA V. FRANCE
Tunisia will be hosting Les Bleus for their second World Cup preparation match and will be hoping to crank out a better result than their 2008 3-1 loss in Paris. France’s 2-1 win last week against Costa Rica should have given the team back some confidence they lost during their controversial qualification campaign. Tunisia, though not qualified for the World Cup, are a talented team with a crop of young players who are anxious to prove themselves on the big stage especially against France. And though I’m sure the historical and social significance of beating France won’t be lost on the Tunisian team and fans- Les Bleus can (most likely) look forward to a positive reception during the game. The tension is expected to be far less than when Tunisia played in Paris and a repeat of France’s friendly game versus Algeria which ended when Algeria fans invaded the field is not expected to happen.
For more coverage on the game, visit the France (live blog taking place) and Tunisia World Cup Blogs.
Samuel Eto’o eh? He sure knows a thing or two about team stability. Though he seemed to have calmed down in recent times (to the point where Didier Drogba has stopped becoming the poor man’s Eto’o in terms of unpredictability) he lashed out today, claiming he might just walk away from that big party in South Africa afterall. 
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